Brother and Sister
by grimmlvr99
Summary: Alona Russell is an innocent kid. At 8 years old, how bad can you really be? She doesn't have parents, but she has a brother, Alan, who takes care of her, and a small ramshackle house to call home. If either of them slip up, it could result in a big mess. They do what they can to survive, and they seem to live alone just fine, but leave it to Nick to get involved, as always.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first chapter of my new story, so I hope you enjoy it! :)**

"Alan, I'm cold." Alona Russell told her older brother as they walked side-by-side on the sidewalk.

"Here, keep this over you-" Alan Russell said, pulling off his jacket and draping it over her small shoulders, so that he was only wearing a long-sleeve shirt.

"Aren't you cold?" Alona asked him. She peered up at him, her big, grey-blue eyes bulging innocently. Her teeth were chattering beneath her small purple lips and Alan shook his head, although he really _was_ cold.

"No, I'm fine." he assured her. Alona took his hand and leaned up against him as they walked.

"Are we almost there?" she asked. Alan nodded as they walked towards a small little restaurant with letters spelling "DINER" on the roof glowing white. They stood right outside of the little diner and Alan bent over and whispered to Alona,

"Ok, Alona, just wait right outside, okay? Stay out of people's way, okay?" Alona nodded, knowing the drill, and crept over and waited by the side of the diner as Alan went inside.

Alan walked in casually and once he found a target, he walked over to them, this target happening to be a man, and bumped into him, swiftly snatching his wallet out of his coat pocket as he did so.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Alan apologized, pretending to be incredibly sincere. Another man who was buying coffees to-go at the counter glanced over at him slightly before heading out the door.

"Just watch where you're going." the man grumbled. Alan nodded,

"I will, I'm sorry. Have a nice day, Sir." he told the man as he casually backed up towards the door.

"Teenagers." the man mumbled, completely unaware of the theft. He sat down at his table and called the waitress over to serve him. Alan turned just in front of the doors and pushed them open and walked out into the cold air. Alona popped her head around the corner of the building and Alan smiled and walked over to her.

"Did you get one?" Alona asked him as she joined him by his side. He leaned in a bit and revealed the wallet.

"Does this mean we get to eat?" she asked him.

"Sure does, kid." Alan assured her. Alona gave a slight smile and sighed with relief.

"Good, because I'm _hungry_." she said. Alan's smile froze in it's place and he fought to keep smiling.

"Me too, Alona, me too." he muttered. Alona grabbed his hand again and pulled his jacket over her more.

* * *

"Here you go, Nick." Hank Griffin said as he merely handed his partner and good friend, Nick Burkhardt, a nice, hot coffee.

"Thanks Hank." Nick said appreciatively. He gratefully took the coffee and sipped it slowly.

"So, any calls?" Hank asked him.

"Nope."

"I guess that's a good thing. Less crime and villains, less arresting and crime-_fighting_ for me and you to do, huh?" Hank joked. Nick rolled his eyes and felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

"Guess I spoke too soon." he said, grinning, as he answered his phone.

"Detective Burkhardt." Nick answered. He listened for a moment or so, then nodded.

"Ok, we'll be right there." he ended the call and stood up, grabbing his coat and coffee.

"Well, what have we got now?" Hank asked, grabbing his own coat and coffee.

"Well, no murders, but we got a small wallet-theft on our hands." Nick said as they walked out the Precinct doors.

"When did it happen?" Hank asked as he and Nick got in the car.

"Around 9:30-ish." Nick said as he fastened his seat belt.

"Do you think it's Wesen related?" Hank asked.

"Hank, it's a wallet-theft, not a triple homicide." Nick scoffed. Hank shrugged and fastened his own seat belt.

"You never know. Where did it happen?"

"That little diner down the road." Nick told him. Hank's jaw dropped slightly,

"Are you serious? Man, I was just there! That's where I bought our coffees!" Hank cried in shock.

"Well, aren't you lucky you didn't get robbed by Captain Wallet Thief." Nick teased.

"Haha." Hank snapped. Nick laughed,

"Oh come on Hank, it was probably nothing. Did you see anything when you were there?" he asked. Hank thought for a moment, then said,

"Just a clumsy teenager who bumped into some guy and got told off."

"Ah. Sounds like your high-school years." Nick smirked. Hank couldn't help himself from grinning.

"Just drive." he shot. Nick's smirk widened as they pulled up into the little diner.

* * *

"I swear I had my wallet when I came in. My wife made_ sure_ I had it, because sometimes I forget. I had it in my coat pocket, right here!" the man sputtered.

"So you say you had your wallet when you came in. Do you think you dropped it?" Nick questioned the man.

"You know what I think? I think that rotten teenager who came in here and bumped into me swiped it from my pocket!" the man cried angrily.

"What a minute-you were that guy that was in here when I was buying coffee." Hank acknowledged.

"Oh yeah, I saw you." the man murmured.

"That kid did look suspicious." Hank exclaimed.

"Ok so, what? We find the kid and question him about it?" Nick asked doubtfully. Hank shrugged and nodded.

"I guess so."

"You guess so! I thought you two were cops! You can't go around_ guessing_ things! Your job is to put the criminals in jail, and I'm telling you, that rotten teenager was a criminal!" the man shouted. Nick forced a smile and wafted his hands for the man to calm down.

"Sir, we know what our jobs are. Please, just calm down and let us _do_ our jobs." he said. The man grumbled on about how bad the economy and everything was, and something about bad cops and rotten teenagers, but Nick and Hank ignored him and left.

"So how are we going to find this kid?" Nick asked Hank. Hank shrugged.

"Beats me. He comes in there often though. We should do a stakeout and wait until he comes back again." he suggested. Nick shot him a doubtful look,

"And what if he doesn't come back? He might not even live around here." Nick scoffed.

"Worth a shot." Hank chimed.

"Don't know about that." Nick said jokingly.

"C'mon, we'll just stakeout here tonight, and tomorrow morning, and if he doesn't show, then _you _come up with Plan B." Hank said. Nick rolled his eyes and pressed the gas pedal, pulling away from the diner.

* * *

"Hank, we've been sitting here for an hour. I don't even know what this kid looks like." Nick complained as he and Hank sat in their car across the street from the diner at 10:22PM.

"That's him!" Hank cried softly as he say a teenage boy, about sixteen or so with shaggy blonde hair hanging just over his eyes walked into the diner, glancing around before he entered.

"Are you sure?" Nick asked. Hank nodded, and Nick grabbed the door handle, but Hank grabbed his arm.

"Wait." he said, looking through the diner windows, watching the teenager. Nick sighed and released the handle and watched as well. The boy bumped into somebody, _again_, and Hank's jaw dropped. Nick raised his eyebrows, all traces of annoyance gone.

"I don't believe it." Hank murmured. They watched as the boy walked outside and they noticed him slip something into his pocket and start walking quickly. A little girl with wild blond hair popped out from besides the diner and joined his side. She had a small thin jacket on, and her pants were faded and torn at the knees and lower legs, definitely not suitable for the cold weather.

"That's our cue." Hank said quickly as he and Nick quickly got out of the car. They walked quickly across the street, and just as they reached the other side of the sidewalk, the little girl looked back and said something to the teenage-boy. The boy looked back over his shoulder and then he grabbed the little girl's arm and they started running down the sidewalk.

"Hey!" Hank cried as he and Nick picked up the pace and ran after them. Both of the kids were fast, and Hank and Nick were loosing them. Nick noticed they were heading towards the woods and he told Hank.

They took a short cut and found the two kids tearing through the trees, and they followed. Finally, they followed them to a little cabin. The kids ran inside and Nick assumed that they thought they'd lost them.

"Hank, you go around the back and I'll go around the front." Nick whispered to Hank and Hank nodded and reached down to his waist to pull out his gun, but Nick stopped him,

"Don't. They're just kids." he said. Hank crept around the back and Nick approached the front door, which was a little crooked. He rapped on the door lightly and waited for someone to open the door.

"Nick!" Hank cried from the back. Nick ran around the side just in time to see the boy leap out the window and take off, but Hank was right on his heels. Hank pounced and tackled the boy to the ground and pinned his arms behind his back.

"Check inside!" Hank ordered Nick. Nick kicked the door open, a flashlight in his hand, and waved the beam around, searching for anything suspicious. He came to a door at the end of the cabin and opened it. It was a small bedroom with one bed and a small pallet of moth-eaten blankets on the floor next to it. He walked cautiously towards the small door, which he knew was a closet, and opened it slowly. He shined the flashlight on the terrified face of a little girl who was crouched on the floor; the little girl he'd seen with the boy. Nick sighed with relief and dropped his hand away from his gun which he'd been prepared to grab.

"It's ok. I'm not going to hurt you. My name is Nick. I'm a cop. I'm here to help." He said gently. He reached out his hand to help the girl up, but she cowered away from him.

"Where's Alan?" she asked shakily. Nick, confused for a moment, realized that Alan must've been the older boy.

"He's ok. He's just outside. Come with me and we'll go see him." Nick said. The girl looked at him hesitantly for a moment, then she slowly took his hand and Nick lead her outside to where Hank stood clutching the boy's arm. The boy's hands were pinned behind his back with handcuffs, and the little girl instantly let go of Nick's hand and ran over and hurled herself at the boy, her brother.

"Alan!" she cried. She said it as though she hadn't seen him in years.

"Alright. We're taking you two back to the Precinct. We've got a few questions to ask." Hank said. Nick pried the girl off of her brother, Alan, and took her by the arm back to their car, which was still in the parking lot outside the diner.

**I hope you guys liked the chapter and want to continue reading. I'll have chapter 2 up very shortly, so stay-well, not tuned, this isn't TV/Radio. I don't know, just don't stop reading please! :D **


	2. Chapter 2: Name

Alan sat in a chair in the small interrogation room, his handcuffs chained through a small metal bracket built into the table. Nick remained standing, his arms folded over his chest, calmly watching Alan.

"So who are you, _Alan_? What's your full name?" Nick asked. Alan glanced at him and rolled his eyes, but he didn't answer and instead looked around the room, anywhere but Nick.

"Oh, I guess you didn't hear me-what's your _name_?" Nick asked again, remaining calm. Alan let out a loud, annoyed sigh,

"None of your business, jackass." he muttered. Nick's lips curled up into a half-smile and his eyes flashed with amusement.

"Ok, let me put it like this-" he leaned over, putting his palms on the table.

"Either you tell me your name and who you are, or I put you in jail and your sister into a foster home." he told Alan in a low voice. Alan locked eyes with him and his jaw tightened. He studied Nick, trying to decide whether he was bluffing or not. He swallowed slightly, and he tried not to let Nick see that he was intimidated a bit.

"You wouldn't." he said trying not to let his voice shake.

"I can, and believe me, I will." Nick assured him. Alan remained silent, still trying to decide whether to talk or not, and Nick removed his hands from the table.

"Alright. I see how it is. I'll talk to my partner and tell him to call Child Services to put your sister into a foster-" Nick had moved towards the door to show Alan that he really_ would_ do it, even though he wouldn't, just to try to get him to talk, but Alan cut him off. Nick's plan had worked.

"Wait." he called. Nick stopped right in front of the door and smirked a little.

"Fine. I'll talk." Alan muttered reluctantly. Nick walked back over to the table and folded his arms over his chest again.

"Then talk." he said simply. Alan glared at him, hate flashing in his cold, sky-blue eyes, but Nick also detected a hint of sadness in those eyes.

"My _name_ is Alan. Alan Russell. I-_we_-haven't seen our parents since-since-" Alan blinked multiple times and cleared his throat slightly.

"Since they died three years ago. She was only five. I was fourteen." Nick could tell that Alan was having trouble talking without getting over-emotional, but he waited patiently for him to continue anyway.

"We've lived in that cabin ever since. We used to go camping there, when my sister was a baby. Eventually we stopped going and the place fell apart a little, but then when they-they died we were put into a foster home together and-and-" Alan stared angrily into space as though remembering something that had made him mad.

"And they were horrible. It was a couple, a man and a women. They beat us and hardly fed us-you have to understand, I took her to that cabin for a good reason-we had no where else to go! We couldn't go back to that place! We couldn't be split up. We were lucky they didn't split us up to begin with, but that's probably as lucky as we'll ever be." Alan explained. He blinked and looked away from the memories of living in _that_ house with _those_ people. He looked up at Nick almost pleadingly.

"So you basically kidnapped your sister and just ran away?" Nick exclaimed. Alan looked away, frustration burning in him, and he shook his head constantly.

"No! I didn't do that! I would never do anything to hurt her, I promise I wouldn't! You have to believe me, you can't take her away from me!" By now, tears streamed down Alan's cheeks and Nick held up his hands.

"I didn't say you would hurt her. But what you did was illegal. And what you did today was illegal too. How long have you two been living out there then?" he asked calmly. Alan made an effort to wipe his eyes on his sleeve and said,

"Our parents died three years ago, and then we were put into that foster home and we stayed there for about seven months before we left. Almost the entire three years." There was silence in the room for a moment before Nick spoke again.

"What's your sister's name?" he asked. Alan frowned at him and shook his head.

"That wasn't part of the deal. The deal was that _I_ told you _my_ name and who _I_ was and you wouldn't me in jail or my sister in a foster home." he said firmly. Nick nodded and decided to just leave it at that; he got what he wanted.

"Ok, fine. Fair is fair. Sit tight. I'll be back." he told Alan as he opened the door.

"Don't hurry back." Alan muttered as he walked out the door.


	3. Chapter 3: A dog, but no kids

"So, you got a name on him?" Hank asked, walking up to Nick, as he saw Nick exit the interrogation room. Nick grinned and nodded,

"Yeah, Alan Russell. Says he and his sister's parents died three years ago and they were put in the same foster home, but the foster parents were abusive so they ran away to a _cabin_ they used to go camping in back when their parents were alive." he told Hank. Hank let out a low whistle and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Do you believe him?" Hank asked. Nick thought for a moment and shrugged.

"Not sure. So where's the sister?" he asked curiously, searching around as if he expected her to be standing right behind Hank. He followed Hank to other interrogation room, this one was slightly different from the one he'd been in with Alan. This one had a large, one-way mirror covering one wall and a table in the middle. The one Nick had been in with Alan had no mirror, but a small window on one wall. Hank knocked softly then entered with Nick right on his heels, and Hank nodded slightly to Captain Sean Renard who sat in a chair across from a little girl with wild blonde hair, Alan's sister, who was hugging her knees against her chest.

_"Any luck?"_ Hank mouthed to the Captain, who shook his head in defeat. He stood and got up to leave, but stopped and whispered to Nick and Hank,

"She won't talk. I'll be behind the mirror. See if you can get anything out of her." Hank and Nick both nodded and closed the door behind the Captain and Nick took a seat in front of the little girl, who's wide, grey-blue eyes were brimmed with tears. Hank remained standing behind Nick and let Nick start.

"Hey sweetheart. Don't be scared. We're not here to hurt you, ok? We just want to ask you a few things." Nick assured the girl in a gentle tone.

"I want Alan." She whispered. She buried her head in her knees and her shoulders started to shake. Nick glanced at Hank.

"Bring Alan down here, Hank." he murmured. Hank nodded and left the room.

"Hey, don't cry. Your brother will be here in a minute. But can you please tell me your name?" Nick asked. The girl looked up slowly, her little cheeks pink and streaked with tears.

"Alona. My name-" she stopped and hiccuped,

"Is Alona." she told Nick. _"She's a really cute kid. I swear, all the good innocent kids get the worst of life."_ Nick thought to himself. Just then, Hank walked in behind Alan, holding Alan by his arms. Alan held a solemn look as he walked in, but then he caught sight of Alona and Nick saw his eyes light up.

"Alan!" Alona burst into tears again, reaching out her arms towards Alan.

"Shhh, hey, it's ok. You're ok." Alan told her. Hank closed the door and let Alan's arms go. Alona stood up and Alan sat in her chair so she could sit in his lap. He was still handcuffed, and Alona wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head in his shoulder.

"I told them my name, Alan. I didn't mean to." Alona murmured sadly in Alan's ear.

"It's ok, Alona. I told them mine, too."

"Alright you two." Nick said suddenly. Alona turned her head and looked at Nick.

"So Alan, you're seventeen, right? And Alona's-eight?" Nick said. Alan's jaw tightened and he nodded ever so slightly.

"See, we're making progress here. It's not that hard to talk." Nick said playfully.

"It is if you watched somebody drown in their own blood." Alona muttered dully. Nick shifted uncomfortably, slightly wishing he hadn't been so playful and light about the situation.

"Shh, don't say it like that, Alona. It didn't happen like that, ok?" Alan told Alona, kissing her forehead softly.

"It didn't happen like that." he repeated as though in a trance.

"Alright. So-we know your age and your names. And your _"story"_, now who were your parents?" Nick asked, seriously this time.

"Claire and Austin Russell. Why does it matter anyways? They're _dead_." Alan snapped.

"D-E-D, dead!" Alona put in. A corner of Nick's mouth turned up slightly because of Alona. It wasn't just that she misspelled "dead", but also because her face was so serious and confident that one-she'd spelled "dead" properly, and two-that she'd backed up her older brother. Alan's head bent over and his shoulders shook. At first, Nick and Hank both thought he was crying, but when he looked up, he was laughing.

"What's so funny?" Alona asked everyone, frowning at the fact that not only was Alan laughing, but Nick and Hank had started to laugh too.

"Nothing, Ali." Alan managed to say. He finally controlled his laughter and kissed her on the nose.

"Why was that funny?" Alona asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"D-e-_a_-d, Alona. That's dead." Alan told her, his smile still wide.

"That's what I said." Alona muttered. Alan chuckled.

"You forgot the _a_." he told her.

"Ok, guys." Nick finally said, recovering from his side-splitting laughter. He didn't think he could ever forget that look on Alona's face.

"What?" Alan snapped, his smile gone in less than a split second along with his good attitude.

"We've got to figure out what we're going to do with you two." Hank put in. Alona automatically grasped Alan's arm, clinging to him for dear life. He was wearing a jacket, but it was thin and her nails were bittin into his skin.

"Don't take us apart. Please." they bother pleaded in unison. Hank and Nick glanced at each other, unsure of what to do or say. Nick only hoped her could do something to keep the brother and sister together. It would hurt him as much as it would hurt them to break them apart, he knew that, and he'd only just met them. It was then that he realized that he gets attached way too easily. _"I should get a dog. Then I'll have something normal that's actually mine to be attached to and take care of. But no kids. Hell no, no kids. If anything happened to my kids, I would-_" Nick started going through a list of all the horrible things he would do if something to happened to his kids he might have in the future.


	4. Chapter 4: Another Way?

"What are we going to do with them?" Hank asked the Captain as the three of them sat together in the Captain's office.

"It's not like we really have a choice. We'll have to put them in Foster homes." The Captain said sadly.

"We can't _do_ that, they'll be separated." Nick pointed out. The Captain sighed and nodded, heavy with defeat.

"There's nothing else we can do. They'll be separated, yes, but I'm afraid we just can't do anything about it." he said glumly.

"So we're just going to drop them off with Child Services and let them be separated and put into the care of complete strangers?" Hank queried. The Captain shrugged and nodded.

"We have no other choice."

"Seriously? So you're just going to sit back and watch two siblings be _ripped_ apart from each other for _life_?" Nick said angrily. The Captain folded his hands together on top of his table and tried to maintain control.

"Look, I don't like this situation any more then either of you do, and if I had another, better option, I would use it! But we can't do anything about this. We have to make sure they are given a home to live in with a family, so they can lead good lives." he snapped. Nick and Hank glanced at each other and Hank shook his head,

"I don't believe this." he muttered and he stood up and left the office angrily, slamming the door behind him. Nick glared at the Captain and said,

"I can't believe you would do this. They're _just_ kids." and he followed Hank, also slamming the door as he left. Sean winced slightly and let out a defeated sigh.

"There has _got_ to be another way." he murmured to himself.

* * *

Nick and Hank went back to Alan and Alona who had been talking in low voices to each other, and as soon as Nick and Hank walked in, they went dead silent. Nick eyed them suspiciously and asked,

"What were you guys talking about?"

"Nothing." Alona said simply. Hank grinned and raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing, huh? So you two just sat in here and said _nothing_?" he said. Alona nodded and strands of her hair fell into her face. She pushed her hair out of her face and peered up at Nick and Hank innocently.

"We weren't talking about anything." she said in a sweet, high-pitched voice. Hank and Nick were both grinning and they exchanged looks. Nick folded his arms over his chest and Alan rolled his eyes and just stared off angrily into space to avoid looking at Nick. _"He thinks he's so smart and tough. It's all his fault. No, it's the _other_ one's fault, Hank or whatever. _He's_ the one who sold me out. But that Nick guy is still a jackass." _Alan thought angrily to himself.

"So what weren't you talking about?" Nick asked.

"We were-" Alona began, but Alan nudged her with his elbow and she turned and looked at him. Alan whispered something in her ear and she shrank back and looked down at her hands. "Nevermind." she murmured quietly.

"What were you going to say?" Nick asked.

"Just leave her alone, alright?" Alan shot at Nick. Nick, mouth open and ready to say something, closed his mouth glanced at Hank for back up, but Hank raised his eyebrows and gave him a "_damn, somebody's_ _mad_" look and shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright." Nick said gently, holding his hands up in surrender. "We won't ask anymore questions." he said. "For _now_." he added, catching Alan's eye. "Hank, c'mon, let's get them somewhere where we can keep an eye on them and they can sleep." he said to Hank. Hank nodded and gently grabbed Alona by the arm and led her out of the room. Nick stayed behind and grabbed Alan's arm, but Alan shook his hand of angrily.

"I can get up just fine." he snapped, standing up and keeping his eyes on Nick. Nick just shrugged and walked behind him in case he tried to pull anything off. Hank led Alona to a little room where they usually kept victims in protective custody. There was a little cot for her to sleep on and the room was white and blank.

"You'll have to put up with _this_ for tonight." Hank told her. She nodded and Hank closed the door behind her and peeped through the little window in the door. He watched as Alona tucked herself into a little ball on the cot and rocked herself back and forth. He turned to Nick and Alan and jerked his head down the hall, gesturing for them to follow. Reluctantly, Alan walked behind him until they came to another room identical to the one Alona was staying in.

"And this one is yours." Hank said, opening the door for Alan to get in. Alan glared at him as he walked past him in the doorway and Hank said,

"Wait," and he pulled a key out from his pocket and unlocked the handcuffs on Alan's wrists. Hank nodded to Alan and left and just before the door shut, Nick smirked at Alan and said,

"Sleep tight." and then locked the door, leaving Alan alone in the blank, white room. He sat on the cot as though he were in a trance and he felt sick to his stomach.

"This is all my fault. Alona, I'm _so_ sorry." he whispered to himself, even though nobody could hear him. He laid down on the cot but kept his eyes open; even if he wanted to, he didn't think he could fall asleep. His mind kept turning and thinking and thoughts buzzed around in his brain. _"They're going to break us up. They're going to give Alona to some horrible parents and they'll beat her and lock her up like our other Foster parents. It's all because I wasn't careful. I shouldn't have kept going to the same stupid restaurant, I should've been smarter than that. And now because I messed up, Alona's going to suffer." _he thought. He buried his face in the pillow, which was hard and lumpy, and felt cold, wet tears soaking into the pillow.

"I'm sorry Dad. I let you down." he whispered into the pillow. He eventually fell asleep, hoping that maybe there was a chance for him and Alona to be kept together. When he woke up, it was quiet and he assumed it was still night time. He checked the watch he'd stolen some time ago and it said it was 3:26AM. His eyes stung and his shoulders ached from the handcuffs. He suddenly had an idea how to keep Alona safe and with him, but it wasn't going to be easy. And it was definitely going to take some guts.


	5. Chapter 5: 4:30 In The Morning

Nick couldn't sleep at all. He tossed and turned, but he couldn't get to sleep. He had an awful feeling in the pit of his stomach, and he just knew it had something to do with those two kids. He wasn't sure what the feeling was, but he couldn't shake it off. He just felt that something bad was going to happen to them and he wouldn't be able to do anything about it. He gradually drifted off to slept and the last thing he saw were the red digital numbers on his alarm clock which read 3:26AM.

* * *

Nick sat up fast, sweating and breathing hard. He'd had an awful dream. A _nightmare_, actually. It was about those two kids, Alan and Alona. He just couldn't stop thinking about them. In his nightmare, they'd been separated and put into separate foster homes and then they'd come back for him, for revenge for splitting them up. Except in his nightmare, Alona wasn't the sweet innocent girl anymore, she was angry and bloodthirsty and wouldn't stop until she got revenge, and Alan was no better. Both of them had started coming towards them, he'd been cornered and he had nowhere to go and then-then he'd woken up. Nick rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably and got out of bed. He crept downstairs quietly, not wanting to wake his friend, Monroe, and walked into the kitchen and got himself a glass of water. He glanced at one of the many clocks on Monroe's walls and discovered it was only 4:30. He put down his now-empty glass on the counter and leaned back and just stood there thinking for a while, and then Monroe came into the kitchen with a grumpy look.

"Hey Nick, I've got a funny question-what the hell are you doing in my kitchen at 4:30 in the morning?" Monroe demanded. Nick sighed and said,

"Sorry Monroe, it's just, well, these two kids we found at work-"

"I'm sorry; you _found_? Excuse me, but I don't think you just _find_ kids," Monroe said caustically.

"They're orphans, alright? We found them in the woods living in a ramshackle cabin. Apparently their parents died three years ago, and they've been living out there ever since," Nick explained dully. Monroe processed what Nick had told him and grabbed a beer out of the fridge. Nick watched him with slight amusement as he took a sip of beer.

"What?" Monroe asked, noticing Nick's amused expression.

"Monroe, it's 4:30 in the morning and you're drinking beer," Nick said frankly. Monroe shrugged and brought the bottle to his lips.

"Yeah, and you're finding kids in the woods. Strange world," he muttered, the brim of the bottle briskly touching his lips as he spoke, and then he swallowed a big, gulping sip and placed the bottle temporarily on the counter. He placed both of his hands on the counter and said to Nick,

"So anyways, tell me more about these _kids_ you _found_." Nick shrugged uneasily, wanting desperately to drop the subject.

"They're just these two kids, a brother and his little sister-" Nick began to say before Monroe nearly spat out the sip of beer he'd had in his mouth.

"Uh, Monroe?"

"Hold on, you said a brother and a sister, right? Both blond haired and blue-eyed?" Monroe asked. A puzzled look passed over Nick's face as he saw Monroe take sudden interest in the kids.

"Yeah, they're both blond. Why?" Nick asked curiously. Monroe shook his head and blew out a long breath.

"The brother, he's kind of a cocky jackass, right? And the little girl, she's-hmm, let's say _timid_, right?" he said, describing the kids. Nick became confused, wondering how Monroe knew all that. He began thinking and wasn't really paying attention to Monroe anymore.

"Nick?" Monroe said suddenly. Nick snapped into focus.

"Huh, yeah?" Nick said dazed. Monroe rolled his eyes,

"You're living in my house, the least you can do is listen to me when I talk to you," he muttered. Nick smirked and shrugged agreeably,

"Ok, _dad_." he said teasingly. Monroe gave him an irritated look and said,

"This is serious, Nick. What are their names?"

"Alan and Alona Russell. Monroe, why is this so important to you anyways? Do you _know_ the kids or something, or what? Really, what is it?" Nick asked slightly concerned and slightly angered at the fact that Monroe wasn't telling him something.

"I wish the answer was _'or what'_," Monroe muttered bitterly. "Where are the kids, Nick?" he asked seriously.

"They're at the Precinct," Nick said. Monroe turned quickly, but Nick stopped him,

"Monroe, wait; aren't you going to tell me what this is all about?" he asked bewildered by Monroe's sudden move to leave.

"Later-just get dressed and be in the car in five minutes," Monroe ordered. He turned and left to his room and Nick let him leave. He remained in the kitchen, confused, but he heard Monroe's voice say,

"Nick! Now!" from Monroe's bedroom and Nick quickly rushed upstairs and got dressed.

_What the hell is this all about? Monroe, you better have a pretty damn good explanation for all of this. _Nick thought to himself angrily as he put on his coat and rushed down the stairs.

**Hope you liked the chapter, sorry it's been taking so long! Oh, and a special thanks to LittleBounce on some tips for formatting (I hope this I got it right, if not, please PM me!) :) **


	6. Chapter 6: Run

**Warning! This chapter includes some strong language! Don't read if you don't like! You've now been warned... :)**

Nick and Monroe arrived at the Precinct a little before 5 o'clock. Nick got out of Monroe's pale, yellow Volkswagen sleepily and Monroe got out full of anxiously. They walked up to the main doors, which were open, and Monroe paused and said to Nick,

"I you make me miss my Pilates, you're in some _serious _trouble, got it?" Nick nodded and opened the doors.

"This way," he said to Monroe and went to his desk and quickly grabbed two keys. He went to Alan's room first and unlocked the door. Alan looked alarmed as soon as Nick came in, and when he noticed Monroe behind him, he stood up abruptly.

"You?" Alan said in a small whisper. His face was drained of it's color and he quickly sat on the cot to keep himself from passing out.

"Are they back? Please tell me they're not back," Alan asked Monroe weakly. Monroe shook his head and approached Alan slowly.

"You need to get out of here," he told Alan. Nick grabbed Monroe's shoulder and pulled him out of the room, closing the door behind them.

"Are you crazy? I can't just let them go," Nick said.

"Nick, they're not safe here, they have to get out of here. Where's the little kid?" Monroe asked, walking down the hallway, peeping in the little windows, ignoring Nick, until he came to Alona's door.

"Open the door Nick," he directed Nick.

"What-no. Monroe, tell me the hell's going on here! Why do these kids have to get away? What are they getting away from? _Who_ are they getting away from?" Nick asked furiously. Monroe closed his eyes and gritted his teeth to maintain his patience.

"Look, Nick, there's a time and a place, and this isn't the time and this _isn't_ the place! I'll explain later, but for now, let's focus on getting these kids to safety," he snapped. Nick blinked and his jaw tightened.

"Fine," he said through gritted teeth. He took the second key and opened Alona's door slowly. She was still sound asleep. Monroe crept quietly over to her and studied her peaceful face. Her cheeks were stained with tears and Monroe felt a clenching pain in his heart. _She'd cried herself to sleep, poor kid,_ he thought sadly. He gently shook her shoulder and her eyes fluttered open with innocence and slight fear. When she noticed Monroe was the one standing over her, she panicked and gasped, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.

"Shhhh! It's ok, I promise. You're safe for now, I'm just going to try and get you somewhere even safer. You remember me, right?" Monroe asked. Alona nodded quietly and she and Monroe stood there for a moment in silence before Alona wrapped her arms around Monroe's neck and he picked her up and carried her out of the room. The three of them came out of the room to find Alan making a run for the doors.

"Dammit, the door!" Nick shouted, taking off after Alan.

"Alan! Alan don't go!" Alona cried, jumping out of Monroe's arms and running after her brother. Alan ran around a desk and Nick came on the other side of the desk. They stood on opposite sides, both of their hands grasped firmly on the desk, both of them ready to make a move at any split second.

"Alan, I don't want to hurt you, but if I have to, I will," Nick panted. They were both a little winded from the sprint from the door to the desk. Alan huffed and kept his eyes locked with Nick's.

"That's bullshit, you'd kill me if you got the chance," he spat.

"Just walk over here nice and easy-" Nick began in a slow steady voice. He didn't get a chance to finish before Alan darted for the door and burst out. Nick was quick on his feet and chased after him, leaving Monroe to deal with Alona, who was in tears.

"Why would Alan leave me?" Alona sobbed.

"Look, uh, he'll be back. Nick's going to get him and bring him back here, I promise," Monroe told her reassuringly. Alona ignored Monroe and ran after her brother. She burst out of the Precinct and saw that Alan wasn't too far off and Nick was just behind him.

"Alan!" she screamed after him. He stopped and turned and as soon as he turned around, Nick tackled him to the ground.

"Get off of me!" Alan yelled at Nick.

"You know, you still stole something, so you're still a criminal!" Nick shouted back, trying to pin his arms down.

"You're an asshole! Get the hell off of me!" Alan, breathing hard through gritted teeth. He grabbed Nick's jacket collar and managed to throw him off of him and pin Nick down enough to get a good punch in. He punched Nick in the cheek, but when he brought his fist down again to punch him a second time, Nick caught his fist and punched Alan in the nose with his other hand and threw him off of him. He stood up quickly and so did Alan. They stood there facing each other, breathing hard and waiting for the other to make a move.

"It doesn't have to be like this Alan!" Nick shouted at him. Blood rushed from Alan's nose and Alan stood his ground firmly, his fists raised and a wild, dangerous look blazing in his eyes. The look in his eyes showed anger and determination; and fear.

"Don't do this Alan," Nick said, softer this time, but still in a firm tone. He too stood his ground with his fists raised, but he really didn't want to hurt Alan anymore than he already had.

"Everything was just fine until you and your _partner_ showed up! Alona and I were fine until you ruined _everything_! Don't you ever just mind your own fucking business?!" Alan yelled.

"Alan!" Alan turned his head, keeping his fists raised, to see Alona come barreling into him, her face red and tear-streaked with fresh tears pouring over the old ones. She hurled herself at him, sobbing and shouting and pounding on his chest.

"Why did you try to run away, Alan?! Where were going to go? Who would take care of me if you left?!" she sobbed hysterically, beating his stomach with all of her strength, taking out her anger on him. Nick dropped his fists and his heart throbbed. Alan glared coldly at Nick one last time before focusing on Alona.

"Alona. Alona, stop," he said softly. She ignored him and continued to punch him and kick him, though Alan really felt nothing.

"Why would you leave me?! You said you'd never go, you lied! You lied! Liar!" she shouted.

"Alona," Alan said raising his voice to be heard over her accusations and punching.

"Alona stop it!" Alan yelled finally, grabbing her wrists to make her stop. "Look at me Alona," he told her firmly. Alona looked up at him, her sobbing ceased to quiet, but not silent, crying. Tears poured out of her sweet grey-blue eyes and dripped off of her chin, splashing on the ground. "I would never leave you," he told her gently. A tear ran down Alona's cheek and she seemed so hurt that Monroe, who'd calmly followed Alona out of the Precinct, could come no closer than a few feet from her in fear that he might, well, tear up just a teensy bit.

"Then why did try to run?" Alona asked harshly, trying to break free from Alan's grip to she could lash out again. Alan secured his grip on her wrists and kneeled down so he was level with her.

"Alona, I love you, you know that. I was only trying to distract that stupid cop so you could get away. I would've found you again and everything would've been back the way it used to be," he explained. Alona studied his face and knew he wasn't lying. Slowly, he released her wrists and she hurled herself into his arms and buried her face in his neck. He held her tightly and a tear ran down his cheek. Monroe and Nick exchanged awkward glances and Monroe shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked on the balls of his feet, telling himself he wasn't going to get teary-eyed.

"But what if the way it used to be wasn't the right way, Alan," Alona whispered in his ear. Alan broke away from her and looked at her in shock that she would say that. Her soft, tear-brimmed eyes were red and puffy, but Alan knew that what she'd said was right. It wasn't the right way; Alona needed to have a good, healthy, _normal_ life. Right now, her life wasn't so normal, and Alan knew it would never exactly be normal, but she still deserved better than being involved with the police when she was only 8.

"I'll make things better I promise," he said reassuringly.

"But how do I know this is a promise you'll even keep?" Alona snapped in an honest tone. Her eyes filled with fresh tears and she turned and darted towards the Precinct and ran inside. Alan was left there, impacted by what Alona had said. _Hurt_. He'd messed up _big time_.

"Alright, let's go. Back inside," Nick told him. Nick walked over and grabbed his arm and stood him up, and for once, Alan didn't refuse. He let Nick lead him back inside silently. He was too much in shock that Alona would say something like that to _him_ of all people, but he realized that she was all too right, and that's what hurt him the most. He _knew_ all too well that he'd broken most of his promises, but for the only one he loved and cared about to tell it to his face like that-it seemed as if Alona had slapped him in the face.

"Alan?" Monroe said suddenly, waving his hand in front of Alan's face. "Hellooo, Earth to Alan," Alan blinked and looked at Monroe, but it seemed to Monroe that he was looking directly through him.

"She hates me," Alan said finally, staring off into space. Monroe and Nick looked at each other and Monroe let out a long, exhausted breath.

"She doesn't hate you, Alan, you're her brother. You're like, the only one she even trusts," Monroe told him. Alan then looked at Monroe and said,

"She trusts you. Oh, she trusts _you_, Eddie. But I'm not sure if I do," he locked eyes with Monroe and Monroe swallowed hard. _This is bad_, a nervous little voice said inside Monroe's head. _Oh hell yes, something is _definitely _going to go down_, another, stronger voice agreed. Now Monroe stood there nervously, scared to move. One wrong move and he would be gone.

**I promised to update faster, so I decided to get to work as soon as I posted Chapter 5 so you guys wouldn't have to wait so long! Hope you like (and you were warned about some language, and future chapters may also contain strong language).**


	7. Chapter 7: Asleep In The Restaurant

Alona's head rested on the cold window in the back of Monroe's yellow bug. Nick and Alan were still at the Precinct, along with Hank who'd showed up after Nick had called him, which is where they'd been since the "incident" that morning. Monroe was driving steadily on the road, trying not to go _too_ fast, so he won't risk waking Alona. He found a nice, cozy looking restaurant and parked his bug in the parking lot and got out. Alona stirred and her eyes fluttered open. Monroe came around to her side of the bug and opened her door and unfastened her seat belt.

"C'mon, let's get something to eat," he said softly in her ear as he lifted her out of the car, shut the door, and carried inside. He placed her gently down in a booth and then seated himself across from her.

"I'm not hungry..." Alona mumbled, trailing off as she fell back asleep at the table. Her head rested on her arms and Monroe decided just to leave her in peace for now. A waitress with short, blonde hair and rosy cheeks came perkily over to Monroe with a notepad and pen ready.

"I see _someone's _all worn out, huh?" the waitress said, smiling at Alona. She had a slight, southern accent; most likely from Texas or Oklahoma.

Monroe grinned and said, "Yeah, it's been a long day."

The waitress smiled and nodded agreeably, "I'll bet. Now what can I getcha?" she asked him.

"I'll have a Coke and a Caesar salad, please, and I'll just get_ her_ a hot-dog to-go," Monroe said politely.

The waitress smiled and nodded. "Okey-dokey! My name's Annie-Rae, by the way, but you can just call me Rae. I'll be right back with your orders!" she, Annie-Rae, chirped. She turned on her heels and walked quickly to the kitchen, waving the little slip of paper that had Monroe's orders on it around and saying, "Cola, Caesar salad and a hotdog, pronto!"

Monroe chuckled a little and sat back to wait for his order. He smiled at Alona, who was still fast asleep with her head on the table.

_She's so precious._

He wondered what she was dreaming about. As he went through some possibilities of what a sweet eight-year-old girl could dream about, Rae came over carrying a Caesar salad and a to-go box, which had Alona's hotdog in it, and a glass of Coke with lots of ice.

She set everything down on the table and smiled, "Will that be all?" she asked. Monroe nodded and thanked her.

Rae smiled as he took a quick sip of his Coke.

"If you don't mind me asking, how old is your daughter?" she asked curiously. Monroe choked on his Coke and Rae's cheeks turned a bright red color, "Oh! I'm so sorry. I thought-I just thought-"

"It's OK, really," Monroe said, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"I just thought, since you brought her here that she was your daughter. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to upset you in anyway!" Rae rambled apologetically. Monroe held his hands up to show that he wasn't at all offended, and he wasn't really, he'd just been taken by surprise.

"Really, Rae, anybody would've assumed that she was my daughter since I'd taken her to eat. It's no big deal, really, it's OK," he told her reassuringly. He smiled to show that there was no hard feelings and Rae smiled, too, relieved that he wasn't angry.

"She's eight years old, and she's the daughter of-a friend of mine," he said. Rae nodded and smiled at Alona.

"She's just so peaceful. Such a little angel," she said softly. Monroe grinned; he couldn't help it. Rae was right, Alona looked so peaceful. And she really was an angel.

"Well, I'll just leave you to eat your salad. I didn't mean to be such a bother and keep you from your food, you're probably starving. Enjoy your meal, Sir!" she chimed. She turned to go back into the kitchen, but Monroe stopped her and said,

"Call me Monroe," she tossed him a smile and went back into the kitchen. Monroe picked up his fork and took a bite of his salad. As soon as he'd swallowed his first bite, Alona sat up sleepily and Monroe smiled.

"Well, look who's finally-" Alona just stood up, cutting him off, and turned and walked towards the door. Monroe put down his fork and watched Alona curiously for a minute. She pushed the door open and walked outside and just kept walking.

"Alona," Monroe called as the door slowly swung closed. She seemed to not have heard him, and she kept walking. Monroe watched through the windows as she walked across the parking lot, then he jumped out of his seat, knocking his Coke over as he did so.

"Alona!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. Everyone in the restaurant turned and looked at him and he sprinted for the door; Alona was about to walk right onto the main road! Dozens of cars were whizzing past, and if Alona stepped foot onto the street, she'd be hit in a nanosecond. She was almost to the edge of the curb, and Monroe ran as fast as he could.

"Alona!" he screamed at her, but she still didn't stop. "Alona stop!" Was she _crazy_?! What was she doing? She lifted her foot and just before stepped onto the road, Monroe grabbed her arm and flew her away from the road just as a car flew past. She looked at him with pure terror in her eyes, screamed, then turned and tried to run, but Monroe was quicker and he grabbed her arms and spun her around and shook her.

"What's the matter with you, are you crazy?!" he yelled.

She blinked, utterly confused. "Monroe? What-" she looked at the road and how close they were standing to it and gasped. Her throat filled with tears, and she looked back at Monroe.

"Did I-" she asked in a horror-stricken whisper, unable to finish.

"Yes, you did," Monroe said angrily. He didn't yell, but his voice still shook with anger, but from the look on her face and the confusion in her voice, he suddenly became puzzled. Before he could say anything though, she burst into tears. Monroe was so confused now. What had _just_ happened? He had no idea what was going on, other than the fact that Alona had just attempted to walk into the middle of a busy road in front of a bunch of cars. Suicide? She was only eight. Then_ what_?

"We'll talk about this when we get home," he said sternly. Alona wiped her eyes and nodded. She walked to the car and Monroe made sure she was buckled before he went back inside and payed the check. He grabbed Alona's to-go box and got into the car. They left the restaurant and Monroe drove in a dazed, confused sort of trance. Thoughts raced around his head and the event replayed itself again and again in his head, and each time he tried to pick out anything he might have missed. He wanted to know why Alona had done what she'd done, and for some reason, he had a feeling Alan knew something about what she'd done and _why_. He didn't like talking to Alan unless he really had to, and in this case; he _really _had to.

**Hi guys! I can't really say how sorry I am for taking so long, like two months now. But I will, if you want to read about a thousand sorrys'! I'm really sorry, but here's this chapter, so don't eat me alive. I can't make any promises that I'll update soon, but I'll definitely try not to take TWO months (time really flies without notice). Please try to be patient with me if I do take to long, and if you want, you can PM me a reminder like "hey, update, it's been two months!". Anyways, hope you enjoy this little chapter! :)**


	8. Chapter 8: I Spy

Monroe found Alan sitting with Nick and Hank, the three of them deep in conversation, and from the looks of Alan's face, the conversation wasn't going too well.

"Alan," he said, interrupting. The three of them turned and looked at him and Alan glanced at Alona, who stood by Monroe's side, but said nothing. He glanced up at Monroe and raised an eyebrow in a sort of annoyed way.

"What?" he said.  
Monroe glanced down at Alona and she looked up at him, fear bearing in her eyes. "Alona, go wait in the car," he directed.

"But Monroe-"

"Go. Now, Alona," he said. Alona gave him a look he'd never seen before, an angry, chilling look, and she turned and ran out of the Precinct. Monroe sighed and turned back to Alan. He opened his mouth to say something, but Alan stood up abruptly.

"What the hell is your problem? You can't just talk to my sister that way." Alan said, outraged.

"Alan, this is no time-"

"Bullshit, you listen to me, Eddie,-"

"Alan, shut the hell up and listen to me, this is important!" Monroe yelled. Nick and Hank exchanged glances, and Nick started to feel a little concerned about Monroe, who didn't seem like himself at all at the moment. Alan clamped his mouth shut angrily, but he was definitely listening now.

"I took Alona to go get some food, and she fell asleep at the table," Monroe began.

Alan gave him a wry smile and gave a short laugh. "That's what you're making such a big deal about? That Alona fell asleep in a restaurant?" he scoffed. Monroe clenched his fist; he was just over twice Alan's age, so he had to refrain from socking him in the nose, as he so deeply deserved.

"I'm not finished," Monroe said impatiently. Alan rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest and let Monroe speak.

"After a while, she woke up and she walked outside. I tried to call her back inside, but she wouldn't listen to me," as Monroe talked, Alan's smile faded and fear siezed his throat, causing him to swallow hard. He knew something had happened, and he didn't like where Monroe was going with this.

"She crossed the parking lot and she was about to step into the damn road as cars were flying by. I caught her just in time, but she kind of panicked and acted like she didn't know what was going on. I have no idea what the hell happened," he finished, waiting for Alan's reaction.

"She didn't know what was going on," Alan said finally. He didn't say it in a mean way, though.

"Is she ok?" Nick asked suddenly, standing up slowly.

"She's fine. I just don't understand why she-"

"You said she panicked when you caught her. What exactly did you do?" Alan interrupted, and Nick sat back down.

"I grabbed her away from the road and, well, I kind of yelled at her. I didn't know what to do, I just-it was instinct, I didn't know what to do," Monroe admitted. Alan grunted in an annoyed manner and rubbed his face.

"She's really ok?" he asked, holding his patience. Monroe nodded reassuringly.

"Alright," Alan said. "Just let me explain. Alona? Yeah, she sleepwalks. Do you know what happens when you wake up a sleepwalker?" he asked sharply, anger edged in his voice. Monroe opened his mouth, but clamped it shut as Alan continued.

"But you already found out what happens when you wake a sleepwalker, didn't you? Alona was confused and had no clue who you were, correct? She probably tried to make a run for it, she always does." Alan said, his voice more calm now.

Monroe nodded and sighed. "I didn't think about it at the moment, Alan, I just panicked. I'm sorry." he said sincerely.

Alan sat down and sighed. "It's not your fault. I get it." he said. He gave a short, humorless laugh and said, "I remember when Alona first started sleepwalking-scared the hell out of me. I couldn't find her for hours. She's been better lately, but she sleepwalks when she goes to sleep scared or super tired. I dunno why."

He stood up and brushed passed Monroe and said casually, "I'm going to go check on her. She seemed pretty pissed." he walked out of the Precinct, and as soon as he knew nobody could see him, he darted for Monroe's bug and got in behind the wheel. Alona was sitting in the back seat, her arms folded across her chest with a frown set on her face.

"What are you doing, Alan, you don't have a license," she said matter-o-factually.

Alan turned around to face her, "Are you ok, Ali?" he asked, using her nickname, Ali. She shrugged and nodded.

Alan grinned and turned back around, and grasped the wheel. He cracked his neck and his smile beamed. "Buckle up," he told Alona, who rolled her eyes and let out an annoyed sigh and scrambled into the passenger seat next to him.

"Monroe has the keys," she said. He turned and gave her a look that said, "Please," .

It had taken him a while, but Alan finally hot-wired Monroe's bug and started up.

"Get in the back," Alan told Alona. Alona tilted her head from side to side teasingly, as though a song was playing, and gave him a sassy grin and buckled up in the passenger seat, refusing to get in the back. Alan shrugged and drove away from the Precinct, unnoticed.

"Where are we going?" Alona asked him. Alan shrugged again and Alona just sat back and looked out the window.

"Monroe's going to be very mad, Alan," Alona said warningly.

"Who gives a shit about Monroe," Alan said. "We're free. We can do what ever we want, Ali." A cocky grin spread across his face and Alona frowned, frustrated.

"You shouldn't talk like that. You know, Monroe helped us all those years ago-"

"Ok, I'm sorry. I'll try not to talk like that anymore. No promises, but I'll try," Alan interrupted, not wanting to hear anything more about Monroe and the past.

"You can try all you want, but you can't forget that Monroe helped us. We'd be dead, Alan, and you know it. You're just afraid to admit it, because you always want to be right," Alona muttered.

She rested her head on her hand and stared out the window, but she wasn't really paying attention to what she was seeing. She was too angry with Alan to really think much. Sure, she was only eight, but she could easily see when Alan was being a jerk, and lately, that was most of the time. She knew Alan, he always had to be right. Even when he knew he was wrong, he wouldn't admit it. He would just keep fighting for what he thought was right. But Alona knew that even Alan knew that without Monroe, they'd have both been dead. She watched her parents get brutally murdered and-

"Look, I'm sorry I've been kind of a jerk lately, Alona. I really am. It's not your fault, I've just been-well, honestly, I've kind of been a little scared. Monroe's friends, their cops-they have the power to keep us away from each other forever, you know. I just don't want that to happen, and I know you don't want that to happen either," he admitted. His grasp on the wheel tightened anxiously and Alona picked at some loose thread on her shirt quietly.

"I'm scared too," she murmured quietly. She reached over and grabbed his arm and kept close to him. "Please don't be so mean. You're my brother, Alan, but you scare me sometimes when you're mean," she said honestly. Alan laughed a little, even though she was being serious.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be such an ass-such a jerk, I mean. I guess I get a little worked up sometimes," he said gently.

"I know," Alona said simply.

"Want to play "I Spy"? Alan asked, grinning as Alona nodded eagerly. Alona went first, then Alan, but each time Alona went, the only thing she would spy would be Alan.

**Hope you guys liked the chapter, please review! :)**


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